LUCKNOW: With the Congress and other opposition parties turning down the invitation for the Ram temple consecration ceremony, the divide between the BJP and the INDIA bloc seems to have widened in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.
UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary on Thursday accused the Congress of having ‘tucchh mansikta’ (petty mentality). “The Congress has proved itself to be an atheist by declining the sacred invitation for the consecration ceremony.They have hurt the faith of Sanatanis…Jo Ram ka nahi wo kisi kaam ka nahi,” he posted on ‘X’.
BJP’s renewed attack came a day after Congress censured the saffron outfit for inaugurating a ‘semi-constructed’ temple just for sheer “electoral gains”. “Religion has always been an individual subject. But the BJP and RSS have turned it into a political project,” Congress had said on Wednesday, evoking a barrage of critical responses from the saffron quarters. “This is nothing new for those who called Lord Ram imaginary. This is the same Congress that once promised to rebuild the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. In 2024, Congress that has boycotted Lord Ram will be boycotted by the people,” Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur had said.
Political analysts say the Congress and other opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party, do not see gaining any political dividend by attending the ceremony which has been high on BJP’s agenda as the Lok Sabha polls draw closer. “It was rather a catch-22 situation, fraught with the chances of opposition playing into the hands of the BJP, leaving its core vote base confused,” said a political expert.
Analyst and political science HoD at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, Prof SK Pandey, said this somewhat draws a contrast with Congress’ earlier strategy of playing out a “soft Hindutva” to counter BJP’s plank of religio-cultural nationalism.
“Ram temple issue has been at the core of BJP agenda. The party has been capitalising on it and would continue to do so in the future,” Pandey said. He asserted that BJP may have rather “nudged” the opposition parties back into their shell even as they project religion being separate from the ‘state subject’.
Experts said the ceremony may also help the BJP bolster its Hindutva plank that tears through the caste divide.
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UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary on Thursday accused the Congress of having ‘tucchh mansikta’ (petty mentality). “The Congress has proved itself to be an atheist by declining the sacred invitation for the consecration ceremony.They have hurt the faith of Sanatanis…Jo Ram ka nahi wo kisi kaam ka nahi,” he posted on ‘X’.
BJP’s renewed attack came a day after Congress censured the saffron outfit for inaugurating a ‘semi-constructed’ temple just for sheer “electoral gains”. “Religion has always been an individual subject. But the BJP and RSS have turned it into a political project,” Congress had said on Wednesday, evoking a barrage of critical responses from the saffron quarters. “This is nothing new for those who called Lord Ram imaginary. This is the same Congress that once promised to rebuild the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. In 2024, Congress that has boycotted Lord Ram will be boycotted by the people,” Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur had said.
Political analysts say the Congress and other opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party, do not see gaining any political dividend by attending the ceremony which has been high on BJP’s agenda as the Lok Sabha polls draw closer. “It was rather a catch-22 situation, fraught with the chances of opposition playing into the hands of the BJP, leaving its core vote base confused,” said a political expert.
Analyst and political science HoD at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, Prof SK Pandey, said this somewhat draws a contrast with Congress’ earlier strategy of playing out a “soft Hindutva” to counter BJP’s plank of religio-cultural nationalism.
“Ram temple issue has been at the core of BJP agenda. The party has been capitalising on it and would continue to do so in the future,” Pandey said. He asserted that BJP may have rather “nudged” the opposition parties back into their shell even as they project religion being separate from the ‘state subject’.
Experts said the ceremony may also help the BJP bolster its Hindutva plank that tears through the caste divide.
We also published the following articles recently
Muslim poet from MP invited to Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya
Visually impaired Muslim bhajan singer, Akbar Taj, expressed joy for being invited to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. Taj, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, will recite his poems dedicated to Lord Ram at the event. Despite other commitments, he willingly prioritizes this opportunity.
Visually impaired Muslim bhajan singer, Akbar Taj, expressed joy for being invited to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. Taj, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, will recite his poems dedicated to Lord Ram at the event. Despite other commitments, he willingly prioritizes this opportunity.